Aureolus Dium, Despertarus Nox
by Mizukara
Summary: The ‘Tail’ of the Black Rabite SD3 fic. Before becoming the monster lurking in the darkness of Dragon's Hole, the Black Rabite used to have another destiny: A human thief thrown into the battle of Mana. Reviews are much loved.
1. Part 1: Digression

**Disclaimer**: Seiken Densetsu 3, and its association, does not belong to me in anyway. If it did…. Then it would, now wouldn't it? Think about it. However, any original characters and situation do belong to me, so I disclaimer them not. Got it? Excellent!

**Author's Note**: Well, here it goes… My newest attempt at fan fiction. This little story is going to be an experiment of mine, since I'm trying to write it without the consistent re-writes and edit sessions that I usually do, hence why I have few stories that see the light of day… ; Now, it's going to likely be fairly short, and the chapters will vary in length depending on my thought process at the time, however I do hope it will turn out okay. This is my first plunge into SD3 fan fiction, so I hope you enjoy it.

Quick plot run down? This is the story of the Black Rabite, before its appearance in Dragon's Hole. What if it was really human in the beginning? What if all the horror stories that came from its presence was not its own doing? Very AU, but, meh! It's fun.

Thanks, and please enjoy!

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_**Aureolus Dium, Despertarus Nox**- The 'Tail' of the Black Rabite _

Part 1: "Digression" 

I will always remember that day…

When the winds of the mountains began to slow in their fury.

When the last of the oasis finally disappeared in blazing sun.

When the icy tundra began to become colder than ever before.

When the sun rose on the forest of moonlight for the first time.

When the lush grasslands became parched with drought.

When the wild crash of the waterfalls hushed to a mere trickle.

I will always remember the day, when the Goddess of Mana perished from the world.

For it struck deep in the hearts of every living creature, created by Her, and in turn all felt sorrow and loss.

And yet, as much as the world mourned for Her, I was torn between my own grief, and the shameful joy I hadn't felt for so many years.

Because, it was on that very day, I was finally free.

When people hear my name, it is enough to send fear down their spines. I was a nightmare, a devilish fable, or a horror in the dark, used to scare children as they tucked in for the night.

Deadly, they said, as they glanced into the shadows. One look and it will be your last. Fatal is your meeting with the Black Rabite.

How ironic that one of smallest and most innocent of the mischievous creatures in world had such a violent cousin.

It was true enough that I could have lived for hundreds of years on the bones of my victims that trespassed so deliberately into my den, as they sought my corpse for a war prize; though I never did.

I was a killer. A murderer of the most careless sort.

And pathetically enough, I used to be human.


	2. Part 2: Urchin

**Disclaimer**: Seiken Densetsu 3 not mine. Original Characters and Situations Mine. End grammatically incorrect disclaimer. 3

**Author's Rambles: **So, the lazy author gets off her butt and writes this some more… innocent In any case, the story will hopefully continue in a general forward moment, as a stories should, though knowing me, it will take some detours and pauses along the way… or else explode from inconsistency. Nevertheless, please enjoy!

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_**Aureolus Dium, Despertarus Nox**- The 'Tail' of the Black Rabite _

**Part 2: Urchin **

Is it ironic to say my name became my curse, instead of my curse becoming my name? The Black Rabite I am… is she really different from the one that came before?

I was born Maris Aria Lavai, daughter to two 'honest merchants'; a few of the many that called the lively village of Byzel, home. My childhood was normal, simple, just like every other child who parents called the exchange of goods their profession. Daylight found us outside in the warm sunlight that seemed to bath our village all months of the year, helping our parents barter their wares to travelers that passed between the growing seaport of Maia, and the new kingdom of Forcena, that claimed rulership over the entire grasslands. The nocturnal hours, of course, were a different story, when the shadows of nighttime hid our passage to the Market, twice a fortnight.

The Market in my day was nothing like the dingy, seedy and much diminished _flea market_ people think of today. It was a glorious open-air bazaar, held deep with in the hills of the Molebear highlands, bordered by The Dorian, or as the common folk called it, the Gemstone Valley. I remember, to this day, how the moonlight used to dance on the mica ridges that were just a brief walk from our spot in the Market. My parents always stationed our goods in the same place that had maybe, the best view of the entire Dorian.

It's strange when I think of the effect the Byzel Black Market had on me. It was my second childhood home, but also the place that forced my life to turn in the opposite direction, darkly, twice in my life. But if the Market was the place, the midnight hour was the moment. I never understood until much later in life how much the darkness and shadows held much claim over me. It may seem a passing coincidence that everything that changed me for the better or, for the worse, always happened when the sun was gone from the sky. But… there were four moments… The four that to this day plague me… To you, maybe, night was only a coincidence. To me, it was fate.

I remember, there was an old phrase that nomadic travelers from Navarre used to say about fate, when they came to the Market with their strange desert relics. Four, they said, was an ominous number. It was the number of directions in the mortal world that brought the harsh desert winds. It was the number of the holy elements that formed the basis of this world. And of course, the number statues that stood at arms, guarding the Mana Holyland, on the mystical Isle of Oblivion… Four belonged to the Goddess and now… how could I believe anything else?

The 'One' that started it, all came to pass when I was only eight, the day my parents were taken from me. Taken, in the sense, that they were murdered in cold-blood, right there in the market just when the crowds were at their prime. And yet, despite that, no one saw a thing beyond a flash of a blade, a pair of voices screaming in agony, and the lingering stretch of rank decay that lay over the blood stained corpses, that haunts me even now. No warning, no face, no name, a mere shadow in the firelight that brought death in an instant. And for all this violence that left me an orphan, nothing was taken from our horde, beyond a piece of a book so faded over time, the ink was mere shadows on the yellow pages. Something so worthless and trivial, taken as an afterthought during one of my father's recent trips to Pedan… And yet the price turned out to be two of the most important lives in my world.

'One' came to pass, and now I was alone. Wanting nothing but what I could never have again, I fled my home, my world and into uncertainty, with all the shattered dreams of a naïve child too numb to cry.

From that day on, my life was my own doing. I looked up to few, and I answered to even less. I suppose, in a way, I had become a rogue, and at the time that was all I could be. There were moments I nearly starved, or when I would be trapped outside in the bitter winter rains all the while ruing the day I ran away from that night without a plan in my childish head. I suppose you could think of my meager existence at the time as pathetic, but I was too stubborn and to myopic to even care about my own stupid decision. Maybe, in the back of my mind I felt I deserved what happened, or maybe I believed something else entirely. But despite it all, no matter what I so much as believed, I never once thought of going back.

I was sixteen when I had my first brush with true magic. At this time, the common folk were just beginning to have a taste of the legendary powers of Mana, which before belonged to the great and terrible, or at least, the very rich. It wasn't a surprise then, that I was haughty and skeptical about it all. I was taught that the Mana belonged to the Goddess and Goddess alone. Mere mortals weren't supposed to use it for their own means, unless of course they were heroes or great mages like in the stories my parents had always told me. I believed it firmly until that night. And that moment, was Two.

I was 'living' in Jad at the time. At sixteen, the lonely child had become a wily thief, accomplished and smug about her own abilities, only because I had managed to survive so long on my own. It's true I only robbed the rich, not out pity for the poor, but because I felt it was proper vengeance to the world for taking away everything that used to be mine, and would never again be mine.

I remember… 

Having spent the very last of my hard-stolen Gil, I took to the back alleys that night, hoping some wealthy merchant had lost his way. Fortune, I felt, was with me this time, as I spotted not one, but four travelers dressed well, and regally in cloaks of silk, and armor of gilded metal, that seemed way too ornate to even be useful. A risky display of wealth to show-off to the merciless shadows; especially when you never knew what lurked in the dangerous darkness. Like me. They were standing in the alcove of a doorway of a long abandoned bar, turned inward in heated discussion and playful banter. I watched them carefully, before sneaking closer to better study my prey.

The first, closest to me, had hair that was as red as a burning fire, gathered in a loose tie, which hung over his silver armor. He wore a pair of long swords strapped to his sides, hilts encrusted with emeralds as dark as a midnight forest. He was watching the shadows casually, entirely in the wrong direction and he was arguing with his comrades.

The second was a young woman, whose face was hidden by the shadows, though judging from her short cropped brown hair and long green robe, she was one of those mages that came from the elven forest far to the east. Squinting, I could just make out the tops of her pointed ears beneath her rustic tiara made of gleaming wood.

The third was only a boy that must have been several years younger than myself. Leaning in the doorway, fidgeting with something in his hands, I could see him nodded animatedly to Red's currently argument. His outfit was strange, reminding me more of a D'Jinn than a human, with long flowing pants in deep blue, and a tiny yellow cap barely covering up the messy array of boyish blonde curls atop his head.

Traveler four, was blocked mostly from view, allowing me to only see a sliver of a dust grey sleeve and a flicker of violet hair, I thought was gathered into a waste length braid. A short reply to a question by Green told me four was male.

Confidently I moved closer, until I stopped a few metres away, and I could hear the conversation they were having easily.

"Look, I _know_ Salamando is anxious about finding the Dragon Emperor. We all are. But we're not supposed to be doing anything until we find where the book is. Dryad is insisting we can't do a thing until we find the key in that text."

"Jinn agrees and says Dryad is very wise!"

"Oh really? And what happens if the Dragon Emperor already _has_ the book? Then what?"

"Then we're useless without finding our eighth. Luna knows we've been lucky to get this far without them."

"Another thing we should hurry up and accomplish!"

"The Goddess will bring them to us in time."

"'In time.' It's always 'in time', for us…."

I frowned at these words. Jinn was the Patron of the Winds in the wild kingdom of Rolante, and the Navarre traders always revered Salamando. Both were messanger spirits of the Goddess of Mana, and I assumed that Dryad and Luna were as well. But from what I could recall, they never mingled so directly in the affairs of mere mortals, much less be mentioned so casually by a bunch of travelers, scarcely older myself. Clearly, I thought, they were disillusioned and blinded by their own arrogance. It would be my personal duty to rob them of their many expensive possessions, and reduce their inflated egos, such that they will never dare to presume to know the will of the Patrons. Unfortunately, that proved to be a large mistake on my part.

I crept closer, slowly, slowly, willing myself to merge with the darkness that bathed the street. I treated the light of the dim lanterns like silk, brushing it over my skin and away from me, until I felt I was the shadows themselves. There were the moments I felt the most alive.

The light glittered off the metal clasps that held full money pouches tight to their person, and they would glitter so much more as they dropped into my waiting hand. But at the point, it was all a game to me and I reached out, grabbing them before they even noticed.

At least, that had happened to a point, only I didn't go unnoticed as long as I would have liked. No sooner had Red's moneybag touched my hand, did he let out a string of curses and call out one of the names of his companions. The moment I had twisted, now afraid, ready to flee back into the night, a hand reached out and grabbed my arm carefully, pulling into the light that now seemed blinding. I whirled around and found myself staring into the amber eyes of my violet haired prey, whose face seemed tinged with amusement.

"Where are you going, Rabite?" He asked me, gently, as I retorted with a low hiss, struggling to break free. But I was held fast. Blue and Green were studying me carefully, and Red attempted to stare me down.

"Hmpf. A no good street thief." He muttered to me, critically.

"Now, now, Machais" My captor replied. "Don't be presumptuous. Not all thieves are bad, remember?" Machais, now named, glared in answer and fixed me with a look that I felt I did not deserve. The elven mage stepped over to me lightly, and tilted her head in thought.

"Dare I ask, what possessed you to rob a Mana Knight?" She asked patiently, 'I would assume most people would avoid doing such a thing." At this words, I flinched visibly, internally horror-struck and at the same time refusing to say anything to further entangle myself in this situation. I had no idea what a "Mana" Knight was, but it sounded like a title given to the Goddess's chosen ones. If that was indeed the case, I was now officially in way over my head.

"Don't know anything about 'Mana Knights'" I said finally, deciding to assume nothing and play innocent street urchin. "But I do know well dressed travelers shouldn't venture out into the back alleys of Jad without expecting trouble."

"Such as you, 'thief'?" My captor asked innocently. I couldn't help but baring my teeth slightly.

"Perhaps." The grip on my wrist loosened, and I looked down in surprise.

"Then I won't blame you for trying, Rabite. I understand too well, what life as a stray is like."

"Atéo is a thief too!" the young boy chirped suddenly, speaking up to me for the first time. "Or at least, used to be…"

"_Before_ he was a Mana Knight." The elven mage added, crisply. "But as a Mana Knight he should also know, we can't let a certain "rabite' run around, especially when she's probably overhead us talking." I frozen for a moment, and then I knew I had to get away from there, and quickly. But the second I began to edge away, there was a sharp metallic ring as Machais drew one of his broadswords from the sheath.

"Going somewhere?"

"That depends on whether or not you plan on killing me." I snapped back.

"No, Rabite. We're not murders." Atéo said soothingly, giving Machais a sharp look. "We just can't have you running about spreading rumors." At these words, the elven mage suddenly began to hum and then chanted a few words I couldn't begin to understand. She drew her palms together and suddenly green light flickered and a pink flower blossomed in her hands. My eyes widened in shock and I started to back up, when the soothing, gentle scent of flowers began to fill the air. I suddenly felt weak and sleepy, the tight muscles in my shoulder suddenly going slack. I reached out to the alley wall for support, when suddenly I noticed Machais coming up behind me, possibly to tie me up, or kill me, for all I trusted him. I panicked, and clasped my hand over my nose, bolting down the street with all the speed I could muster. A moment later, I was back in the shadows and safe again. Footsteps pursued me, but soon they fell behind in the unfamiliar territory and I let out a giddy laugh now that I was free in my own element again.

But my glee was to be short lived, as the night suddenly betrayed me. The moon appeared overhead, full and glorious, and it chased away the darkness on a night that it was a mere crescent the hour before. Before me stood Atéo, fellow thief, hands outstretched as if pleading with me.

"I'm sorry Rabite. But -- " I never heard the rest, as the moon seemed to dissolve in a spiral of golden light and then unconsciousness took me.


	3. Part 3: Opportunity

**Disclaimer**: Seiken Densetsu 3, Ambrosia of Video Games, belongs not to me, but to Square, and I suppose Enix as well. Pursue not the fan, I say!

**Author's Rambles: **So… Yes. I lack updating consistency. I am well aware of this fault. My theory was, I could write this better if I had actually beaten said Black Rabite. After my recent attempt ended in a Psycho wave, Flash, Blackrain-EvilGate-DarkForce, Spiral Moon, another immediate round of dark healing and then Hell's Cross without pause… I decided to try the write first, kick Rabite tushy later approach.

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_**Aureolus Dium, Despertarus Nox**- The 'Tail' of the Black Rabite _

**Part 3: Opportunity **

I drifted through darkness, imprisoned in the recesses of my own unconscious mind, and I was forced to relive flashes of the night my parents were taken from me. In times of stress or fear, especially back in my early days on the streets, I often founds my dreams plagued by these memories. But as of late, these dreams had almost disappeared… until now it seemed. As awareness of the outside world came thundering back, in the form of a throbbing headache, I only quickly remembered the situation I was in, barely preventing myself from bolting upright in blind terror and sorrow. Grinding my teeth painfully, I forced myself not to move, not to open my eyes, or give away any sign that I was awake. Gradually, my panic subsided, and I relax slightly, trying to sense where I was… or perhaps more importantly, who else was there with me.

The smell of wood smoke and a burning heat drifted towards me on one side, sharply contrasting the mild, but damp air on the other. It was nighttime, but whether or not this was the same night, or another I couldn't begin to guess. Voices echoed in the air gently, low enough that I couldn't understand what was being said, though straining my ears I thought I could make out who was speaking at least. Machais's sharp tone suddenly punctured the otherwise mellow atmosphere with a derisive snort and then a rustling of leaves and branches told me, he likely stormed off into the night. I suppressed a thoughtful frown, coming to the conclusion that we must have been camped out somewhere in the forest outside of Jad's southern boundaries.

But why? Looking back at what happened, I didn't understand. Clearly, these Mana Knights feared I'd expose their secret, though to be honest, I couldn't figure out what that secret was. Regardless, If I was such a threat, why did they not do away with me while I was so helpless? To my perfectly narrow street-sense, these seemed like the wisest course of action. I suppressed another frown as I thought this over some more, but was then startled out of my thoughts.

"You're quite good at pretending you're a sleep, Rabite. I'm impressed." I flinched before I could stop myself and then exhaled sharply a moment later, realizing I was beaten.

"My name," I said coldly, rolling over on my side to face my antagonist, "is not 'Rabite'." Atéo's face lit up with a good-natured grin.

"My mistake then, Lady Pakkun." I bared my teeth and shot to my knees. But Atéo chuckled easily and gave an apologetic wave. "Kidding, kidding. But tell me. If you're not a Rabite, or a Pakkun, whatever shall I call you?"

"How about my name?"

"A novel idea that!" There was a pause. "Well…?" The Mana Knight prompted. I let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed both at myself for letting harmless bantering get to me, and at him for trying to get a rise out of me.

"Maris."

"Is that all?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Maris Aria Lavai. Former Daughter of the Dorian Market, currently Master Thief of Jad's Shadows." I said recklessly, but not without a little pride in my voice. Atéo tilted his head curiously at me for a moment, but then extended his hand around the campfire.

"Atéo, of no particular family clan, no particular place though …I suppose I was born somewhere in the Moonlight Forest." He amended absentmindedly. "Former Son of Thievery, current Mana Knight Extraordinaire." I stared at his outstretched hand for a moment and then hesitantly extended my own. We shook and Atéo grinned again.

"See! That wasn't that difficult, now was it?" I looked away and stared into the fire. The Mana Knight hesitated himself, and then sat back a little. "You don't have to worry right now, Rab…Maris." He said suddenly, in a completely different tone. "I probably understand better than the others what you've gone through, but believe me when I tell you, you're not in danger right now." The words were supposed to be soothing, but my anger flared again.

"Not in danger? I've been in danger since the beginning! Being abducted by strangers in the middle of the night, dragged off into the wild for _no_ reason at all--"

"You did try to steal our gold…"

"—and you expect me to feel safe!?" I demanded hotly. "I don't understand why I'm here, or what you want with me. If I'm such a threat to you, just kill me and be done with it! If not, just _let me go_!" I cried. My words echoed slightly in the air and then died away in the crackle of the fire. I clenched my hands into fists, trying to control the overwhelming wave of emotions I hadn't felt that deeply for a long, long time. Atéo said nothing for a moment and then drew out a dagger from somewhere on his person, letting it gleam deadly in the firelight. He twisted it easily in his hand, showing off obvious skill from long practice.

"Is that what you want?" He asked simply, turning the dagger again, holding it out to me hilt first. I looked at the blade for a moment, at a loss. Suddenly my anger vanished as quickly as it came and I slumped down, head in my hand.

"No." I croaked, my voice muffed. "I don't want that."

"Good. Listen, Maris. We…" he trailed off suddenly, and I looked up in time to see his eyes dart off to the distance. A moment later I heard rustling in the bushes, signaling either a wild beast or worse, the return of Machais. Cursing myself for not paying attention to the surroundings better, I flopped over on the ground once again pretending I was unconscious. I heard a faint chuckle from Atéo, but nothing more.

"Atéo! What's going on?" I heard Machais ask roughly. "I thought I heard voices."

"Voices?" The other answered with a puzzled tone. "I didn't hear anything."

"See, Machais. I told you, you've been hearing things." A new voice added, with a touch of laughter. I recognized it as belong to the Elven Mage. "I blame it on Salamando's never ending tirade." She said teasingly.

"Oh, enough, Ilenda." I heard the warrior shift in his armor. "Is she awake yet?" Somehow, I knew all three of them were staring at me, making it hard for me not to shift uneasily.

"Nothing." Atéo said. "A few murmurings and I think she mentioned a death threat against you, Machais. But nothing unusually, of course." I fought a wry grin. Machais snorted and then shifted impatiently.

"Well, we need to move on. If we're going to meet up with the others on time, then we can't dawdle anymore in this forest. I don't want to have to wander the Waterfalls at night, if I don't have to."

"Where's Danji gone?" Ilenda asked, her voice coming closer, before she sank down beside me.

"On to the Astorian trading post. He said he'd pick up the supplies we need." Atéo answered. There was a pause, and cool hands were placed on my forehead.

"She feels feverish still. I really think you overdid it on the magic." The mage admonished. I heard the other Mana Knight mumble something humbly. "Nevertheless." Her hands shifted to my temples and rested there. Suddenly, the dull ache in my head vanished.

"Do you hear me, child? Awaken to the night." Almost against my will, my eyes flickered open and I pretended to struggle upwards.

"What's… going…"I muttered sleepily, as a true yawn escaped my mouth. I let my eyes drift around the camp lazily, taking in the details I didn't bother to earlier. The clearing we were in was small, and surrounded by the strange trees of the forest on three sides, with a large rock structure bordering the fourth. Atéo hadn't moved from his position on the far side of the fire, Machais was pacing to his left. A pile of bags and sleeping rolls were hastily tossed on my other side, along with, their purses, obviously and purposefully within my reach. Well now. If that wasn't an obvious statement that I wasn't a threat, I don't know what was.

I let my gaze drift over to the Mana Knights, and tensed visibly.

"You!" I snarled, shifting as if I were going to spring upwards.

"Are you awake, Rabite?" Atéo asked innocently. I bared my teeth, like I had the first time and replied as I had before, though less coldly than I had originally. The other two watched in dry amusement, as we acted out our introduction perfectly, as if we'd never meant before, the two of us somehow already in an unspoken alliance.

"Charming as always, Atéo." Ilenda murmured gently, as I chose to end the drama with a corrosive 'hmph!'. "I am Ilenda of Lampflower. Well met, young one…despite the nature of our meeting." I nodded to her politely in return and turned expectantly to Machais.

"And you, dear knight?" I asked with an innocently bittersweet smile on my face. He scowled at me and stopped his pacing.

"Machais. The best Duelist of Forcena. Salamando's _chosen_." He stated briskly, placing emphasis on the last word.

"Charming." I responded dryly, but brushed him off to look at the others expectantly. "Forgive my bluntness, but I want some answers. From our earlier… 'conversation', I apparently stumbled on some secret tidings I shouldn't have. Though, I have to be honest in that I have no clue as to what those tidings are." Ilenda studied me thoughtfully and glanced back at the other Mana Knights, one who nodded, the other who scowled.

"What do you know of the Goddess and Mana?" She asked. I frowned and tilted my head.

"Mana is the life blood of the Great Goddess," I recited. "The Goddess is Mana and of Mana, born of, and ruler of. When the Goddess descended down upon the chaos of the Eight, she brought forth her Power as the Sword of Mana and slew their mortal forms. Their spirits, she trapped within Eight Hearts of Stone, imprisoned for all eternity. With her task completed, she gave birth to the world anew, and then left for the Holy Land." Ilenda said nothing for a moment, but then shifted in her crouch.

"Interesting. I have never heard it put quite that elegantly for quite sometime."

" '_Aureolus Dium, Despertarus Nox'_… My parents taught it to me," I replied, softly. "They passed on what they knew to me, when they could. They were rather knowledgeable in lore, for merchants, I suppose."

"I would be interested to meet your parents, I must say. For we are badly in need of some scholars of Lore." I stiffened.

"They're dead." I answered coldly.

"Our apologies, Rabite." Atéo said gently. I inclined my head, but said nothing.

"Let us just say, that our mission is in the name of the Goddess, and that if we fail, the entire world may be plunged into chaos."

"Yours, and every other warrior on a mission," I muttered dryly. "I may just be a street thief, but I know when I've heard the same song, told over and over again. Heard it last week, and twice the week before." I drawled, before suddenly pushing myself to my feet and resting on the nearby rock pile, trying hard to ignore the dull ache centred around my temples. "If you can't give me another answer, better than that I'm out of here." Before they could move, I pushed off from my rock and made to bolt into the night.

Unfortunately, as soon as I took my first step, the air seemed to glimmer with gold light. The world spun around me and I crashed to the earth, with no strength in my body. I let out a surprised exhalation of air and I clawed at the dirt. I struggled to form words and looked up at the Elven mage accusingly.

"What did you do to me?" I demanded.

"Errr, well, Rabite, that was my fault." Atéo said somewhat sheepishly. "We couldn't have you just… running away from us, since you might have overheard some of the finer aspects of our mission. So… we... that is, I placed a binding spell on you. Just a minor spell, so you sort of can't go anywhere without us. Well, and visa versa." He amended. I shook my head in disbelief; suddenly flinching against the magical bonds I couldn't sense or feel.

"Because I heard something about a book, an emperor and the Eight? That could mean anything… to anyone!" I said, desperation creeping into my voice. I wanted to be out of here, away from these strange warriors and their unknown mission. I was beginning to feel trapped and helpless.

"I told you she heard something!" Machais snarled explosively. "What else do you know, thief?"

"Nothing!" I hissed back, sitting up. "I was paying more attention to stealing your gaudy and overpriced items that your dumb mission." Machais growled and made to reply, when Ilenda let out a tired chuckle.

"Oh dear, these two are definitely never going to get along. Too bad, they'll have to learn to get along, as there will be no undoing the spell." She said calmly, with steel in her voice. "Right, Atéo?" The former thief grinned cheekily.

"Oh, of course. Mind you, I don't know how to undo it anyway!"

I remember… 

After the bitter argument between Machais and I died down, I was half forced and half invited to sit with them by the fire. Despite the fact I was nothing more than their prisoner, they seemed to think it was important I understood _why_ it had to be that way. Their quest, as it were, went deep down into the heart of Mana itself. At first, I couldn't help doubt that this band of travelers could be true Mana Knights. I wasn't lying when I had said to them I heard it all the time. The midnight hours of Jad always brought out the strangest people, who inevitably got rip roaring drunk at some of Jad's more seedy taverns. An excellent hunting ground for thieves like myself, as it were. I had lost count at the number of times a group of drunken washed up warriors had staggered out of a pub, cursing to the barkeeper that his shoddy treatment would earn the wrath Goddess Herself. After all, his quest was going to save, the, world! Therefore, I felt I had earned my rather… 'jad'ed attitude towards heroes and there "heroic" quests.

However, my attitude towards this particular bunch changed rather quickly. I will admit, their obviously skilled usage of archaic magic helped… but when the campfire before us had suddenly exploded in a tirade of angry and terrible fire related puns mid explanation, I couldn't help but reconsider. Their identity was sealed, shortly after, when the sapling I grabbed for support let out a mild call of surprise and then apologized profusely for startling me. Atéo had cheekily offered to show me how to make the moon disappear from sky and join us, but my pale and frightened expression was answer enough. But these moments of parlour tricks were just the beginning of countless revelations, on how myopic my view of the world beyond the market and the streets was.

They didn't tell me many details of how they became Mana Knights, only that something inside of them made it seem… right. Each of them were pledged by blood and by soul to one of the ancient Mana spirits. In return for the great magic, skills and protection they received, they were in turn deeply connected to the holyland. But it was this connection that told them of a great darkness that seemed to be shadowing at the edges of the world. Darkness, they said, that seemed to bear the scent of the Dragon Tribe. I had never heard of them before, but apparently they were a tribe deeply entrenched into the past by shed blood.

They were known as Serpent Lycanthropes; warriors, mages, and rouges willing to shed their humanity in return for becoming like dragons themselves. For decades they strove for it, using blood, ritual and the torn hide of their brethren trapping their minds in a state of primitive madness, in the yearnings. It wasn't until a young, but ambitious mage appeared did this all change. The details were obscured over time, but in the end the Dragon Tribe achieved some semblance of their goal, under this man who became the one called the Dragon Emperor. It was this man… if he still could be called that, was sending tremors of doubt through the glory of the Holyland. Tremors of hatred, of deceit, and most of all, the dark desires of power. The Spirits, and in turn, the Mana Knights feared that this ambition might led to the destruction of the Holyland, and the released of the Chaotic Eight that were sealed long ago.

Needless to say, nipping this in the bud was the most desired course of action. But it seemed that this course of action was taking a long, long time...

"So, let me get this straight." I interrupted. "You're on your way to confront a man that was born out of nothing more than legend, wielding the primal blood magic of dragons, in hopes to save the holyland."

"Yes, that is correct." The Elven mage said calmly. "Though, through a more indirect approach. According to the rumours we have been hearing, the Dragon Emperor and his Tribe are not nearly strong enough to attempt a direct assault on the Holyland, or release any of the Chaotic Eight at this point, thank the goddess." She continued thoughtfully.

"Apparently, he's seeking more power before he does something drastic." Atéo added. "There's word that he's looking for pieces of a Holy Scripture rumoured to be written by the goddess herself, that is the key to wondrous magic. If he manages to get a hold of that little item, there is no way the only seven of us will be able to stop him as we are." I frowned at them, shifting my position slightly closer to the fire. The air was cooling rapidly as the night passed midnight without a backwards glance.

"Why not just go after him now? Before he gets the scripture. You're the Mana Knights. Just… go kill him." I said bluntly, in my streetwise manner.

"If we could, we would, thief." Machais growled under his breath. "But we aren't going to take that chance with just the seven of us." I glowered back, but was confused.

"Seven against one is pretty good odds to me." I said. The three of them looked away from me for a moment as if ashamed.

"Seven is not Eight." Ilenda said softly.

"So?"

"You seem to know the Stories of the Goddess well, Maris. How many Elemental Spirits are there?" She asked. I thought for a moment, attempting to drag the long unused information from my head.

"Eight. Eight Holy Spirits to counter the Eight Chaotic Ones…. I think.."

"Indeed, you are correct. Eight Holy Spirits, for Eight Demons of Death. And in this world, that is slowly forgetting the magic of the Holyland, they require eight mortals to be their voices and their bodies upon this world." Ilenda gestured around her. "Before you sit three such mortals. Salamando, Dyrad and Luna. The little one you saw earlier, was Jinn's. Leaving our comrades of Wisp, Undine and Gnome, who you will inevitably meet in due time. That is our Seven."

"So who's the last spirit and their mortal?" I asked, curious. Again, the faces of the three warriors flickered uneasily.

"We… don't know, Rabite." Atéo murmured. "We can't find him, or her. And Shade, the last spirit knows nothing of their identity. And without the mortal, Shade can't help us at all."

"Without Eight, there's no point in fighting the Emperor." Machais added bitterly. "We're incomplete." I frowned.

"I still don't see the point. Sure, you're incomplete, but so is this Emperor. Go get him while he's weak!"

"Finally, something the thief and I agree on."

"It's not that easy, Machais, you know that!"

"Oh great, here we go again…"

'"Atéo! You both know there are too many chances that--"

"Oh, in the name of the Goddess herself… You Mana Knights are all talk and no action. No wonder you were afraid I was going overheard something. With the continuous debating you all do over this plan and that plan, I'm surprised the whole world doesn't know." I snapped, realizing that in the tiny amount of time I knew these warriors, I already understood them better than anyone else I had met. A disturbing sense of kinship was itching in the back of my mind to these Mana Knights, and it was making me feel very uncomfortable. "This world is harsh and uncaring." I continued bitterly. "You have to live on the edge and take chances. Stride forwards, don't look back, manipulate, cheat, steal."

"This isn't the streets, urchin." Machais said coolly. "This is the fate of the world."

"The streets are my world, Machais. And the only thing left in it." I hissed, leaning over the embers of the fire.

"They don't have to be, Rabite. Not anymore, not as along as your traveling with us. Your streets can be the rest of the world now." I recoiled suddenly and stared at Atéo, who was watching me calmly. "You have a chance for some freedom."

"Freedom?" I laughed bitterly. "Some kind of freedom. I'm bound to you all now. Last time I checked, this isn't freedom." I looked away into the fire. "This isn't freedom."

"No. But it could be. There is no doubt our mission will take us into the wilds of the world, that most have yet to see, and many more that will never. You have the opportunity for adventure, child. Maybe not by choice, but opportunity nevertheless." Ilenda murmured, gazing into the shadowy forest that encircled the camp.

"Opportunity…" I said slowly, wanting to taste the word. Somehow… somewhere during its short trip over my tongue, I felt the promise it held.

Opportunity. Opportunity for Freedom? No, not that. I wasn't naïve enough to believe that. Nor, was it for adventure. Adventure wasn't something I needed. Revenge? Yes, I could see opportunity for revenge. Revenge on a darkness that stole my life. Payback to someone else, that wasn't connected to me, but had wronged others no less. Misguided Revenge. I could see it…. But I didn't feel it.

What did I feel? Even to this day, I always wondered what made me nodded my head and agree on some subconscious level to willingly follow these strangers, these Mana Knights into the dark oblivion of the unknown. Maybe it was the opportunity to abandon the small life I had carved for myself, and take a chance at something bigger and better.

So I agreed. That is to say, grudgingly on the outside, and inside glimmering with a tiny spark of something that could have been buried hope. The formality of conditions were drawn. Accompany them on their quest, until they reached the start of their goal, but no further. The innocent wouldn't be dragged into unwilling danger, only on the path that led to it. So be it.

And so, the Quest truly began. Onwards, they said. To Astoria.


End file.
